Luke Thiel and Nico Higgs named CanadaWest players of the week

University of Saskatchewan linebacker Nico Higgs helped the Huskies hold the No. 2 ranked University of Calgary Dinos to just 17 points in a victory Friday.

Higgs and the rest of the Huskies allowed just one field goal, a punt return touchdown and gave Calgary three safeties for their score.

The fourth-year Business student was a big part of the defensive stand with five solo tackles and one sack. He also snared an interception 50 seconds into the fourth quarter returning it 41-yards for a touchdown. It made the game 34-10 for the Huskies.

Higgs and the Huskies travel to Vancouver to meet the UBC Thunderbirds on October 22.

Luke Thiel

Special Teams: Luke Thiel, PR, Saskatchewan

University of Saskatchewan Huskie Luke Thiel tallied 105 yards on punt returns including a 74 yard return for a touchdown in a 36-17 win over the No. 2 ranked University of Calgary Dinos Friday.

The second-year Kinesiology student racked up the yardage on four punts. The 74-yard touchdown was at 9:13 in the third quarter and broke the Huskies lead to 20-7. He also tallied a team-high seven tackles, one forced fumble and one interception on defence for the Huskies.

Thiel and the Huskies travel to Vancouver to meet the UBC Thunderbirds on October 22.

Offence: Adrian Charles, RB, Regina

Running back Adrian Charles ran for a season-high 222 yards and had two touchdown rushes for the Rams as they moved into sole possession of first place in Canada West after a 41-19 road win over Manitoba on Saturday afternoon.

Charles registered touchdown runs on back-to-back possessions early in the fourth quarter. His five-yard touchdown gave the Rams their first lead of the game at the two-minute mark, and a 37-yard scamper put the Rams up by two scores less than four minutes later.

He also reeled off a 90-yard run for the second time this season, as he took the ball on 2nd-and-10 from the Rams’ own 15-yard line and ran it all the way down to the Manitoba five, which set up a short touchdown pass for Regina’s first score of the game.

Charles’ 222 rushing yards ranks as the third highest single-game total in U of R history, trailing only Neal Hughes (295 yards against Alberta on Oct. 25, 2003) and Ronald Arnold (249 yards against Saskatchewan on Sept. 23, 2000). His twin 90-yard rushes this year rank as the second longest in U of R history, trailing only Arnold’s 97-yard run at UBC on Sept. 8, 2000.

Charles leads Canada West in both rushing yards (889) and rushing touchdowns (9). He needs just 65 yards to break Hughes’ school single-season record of 953 rushing yards and one more touchdown to become the U of R’s single-season leader in that category.

The Rams (5-1) will be back in action on Friday night at home against Calgary (4-2).